


Arsonist's Lullaby (songfic)

by cilliance



Series: Scriddler Songfic Collection [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Bullying, Character Study, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Implied/Referenced Underage Drinking, Origin Story, Revenge, Young jonathan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-02-24
Packaged: 2019-11-05 03:04:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17910791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cilliance/pseuds/cilliance
Summary: “When I was a child, I heard voicesSome would sing and some would screamYou soon find you have few choicesI learned the voices died with meAll you have is your fire and the place you need to reachDon't you ever tame your demons, but always keep 'em on a leash”





	Arsonist's Lullaby (songfic)

That Halloween had been one of the worst days of his life. It had started out great, with Jonathan’s granny  _ finally  _ allowing him to go out and dress up for Halloween. He’d been horrified when he realized that she’d made him his costume out of the old scarecrow out in their field, but still, he’d had a free night out and accumulated lots of candy from the houses around town. 

The worst part had been the high school Halloween party. Sherry had him on her hook for  _ weeks:  _ dragging him around, pretending to be his friend. The day Sherry had approached him, Jonathan thought he’d never been happier. And when she moved to kiss him, he thought his heart was going to burst. But, his heart had burst for a whole different reason when Bo had jumped out to scare him. Everyone was laughing, including Sherry. It had all been a trick, and Jonathan ran home in tears. 

Something inside him had changed for good that day. The Scarecrow had been lingering in the back of his mind for a long time now, but this had been the straw that broke the camel’s back. Now, Scarecrow’s voice was all Jonathan could hear, day in and day out,  _ hounding  _ him to get back at them all for the things they’d done. 

Jonathan soothed the voice in his head, telling him that their revenge would come very soon. Jonathan decided that senior prom would be the night. 

____________________

While his granny was taking a nap downstairs, Jonathan snuck into her room and looked under her bed. With both hands, he pulled out the old shoebox hidden under there and coughed as the disturbed dust coating the lid flew up in the air. 

Lifting the lid, he sifted through some of his great-grandmother’s memorabilia: old photographs, a couple of family heirlooms. But what Jonathan was most interested in was the nearly century-old Smith & Wesson she kept in there. It had been her father’s, and it had been the gun that her father had killed himself with. 

Jonathan took the gun out of the box and held it in his hands for a moment. It was heavy. Heavier than he thought it would be, even without any bullets in the cylinder. He also had no idea how it worked. It was no matter, though, because he had no intention of firing it. He only wanted to spook ‘em well enough. 

Prom was that night, so he’d have to tuck the gun away for later. Jonathan hid the gun between the folded clothes in his closet. Also in his closet, he saw the Scarecrow costume his granny had made for him. The old crone was terrible at sewing, but Jonathan was almost thankful, for it made the Scarecrow look all the more terrifying. 

Jonathan found himself experiencing that same feeling the other kids must get in anticipation for the school dance. Jonathan found himself… excited. The night couldn’t get here any sooner. 

____________________

Jonathan had actually gone to the dance, but he’d left hours early. Not that he’d been enjoying himself, anyway, but he had plans to carry out. Even in the face of his bullies poking fun at his tattered suit, Jonathan found himself acting… glib. No doubt Bo and his friends had found it very off-putting. 

Jonathan snuck out when no one seemed to be paying attention and ran home. It wasn’t that late in the night, but Granny had already gone to bed. Jonathan changed out of his suit and put on the Scarecrow costume. He then pulled the gun out from his closet and tucked it in his waistband. Jonathan heard Scarecrow’s voice getting louder and stronger. 

Instead of going back to where the party was being held, Jonathan walked to the place where he knew all the “lovers” went to drink and makeout, and… whatever else it was they did there. He was sure the lot would be filled with students’ cars once prom had ended. 

Jonathan climbed up into one of the trees that had branches stretching over the road. All he could do now was sit, and think, and wait. 

In the past couple of hours, several cars had driven by. Jonathan would look up in excitement, only to deflate with disappointment when he saw that none had been Bo’s car. 

Jonathan heard another car coming. He almost didn’t bother to look up this time, but when he did, he saw the car which most definitely belonged to Bo Griggs. Jonathan shot up and picked up the gun from his lap. He crawled farther out onto the branch and positioned himself to be ready to jump.

The car was swerving slightly. It would occasionally pick up, then slow down. It was clear that Bo had been drinking. Sherry probably had, too. Jonathan waited until they were about thirty yards in front of him, then he jumped. 

He landed onto the road, skinning his knees but recovering as quick as he could. He waved the empty gun at the car. Jonathan couldn’t help but feel a sudden fear, himself. There was every chance that Bo could have hit him. 

But he didn’t. It all happened so fast. Jonathan was blinded by the car’s headlights, and he heard Sherry’s muffled scream from inside the car. Jonathan heard the screeching of tires, then the crunching of metal, the shattering of glass, and a loud crack. 

Jonathan blinked away the sudden darkness and lowered the arms that had been shielding his eyes. What he saw could only have been described as a disaster. 

The car had been completely destroyed. Jonathan had frightened Bo, and he’d swerved the car and crashed into the trunk of the same tree that Jonathan had been hiding in. Jonathan took a few cautious steps toward the hunk of scrap metal.

Inside the car, Bo was folded over the wheel and dashboard. He was bloodied and unconscious, but clearly still breathing. 

But Sherry was much, much worse. 

She had practically ejected from her seat and had shot through the front windshield. She was lying on the road several feet away, her body torn up by the asphalt and shattered glass. 

Jonathan had a strong feeling that if she wasn’t dead already, she would be very soon. 

Jonathan jumped when he heard the voice, which sounded clear as day. 

_ See, child?  _ This  _ is what happens to the people that mess with us. They’ll  _ all  _ learn their lesson when you learn to accept yourself for who you truly are.  _

It was only when Jonathan remembered that soon enough, another person would drive by here and discover the scene that he ran off. He’d put the gun and the costume back in their places and pretend that none of this had ever happened. 

He had a very,  _ very _ good feeling that he’d be getting away with this. 


End file.
